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John Noble Wilford
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The Riddle of the Dinosaur Hardcover – December 12, 1985

by John Noble Wilford (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
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Sketches the history of paleontology, traces the study of dinosaurs, and summarizes what we have learned about their lives and the reason for their extinction
Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Alfred A. Knopf
  4. Publication date
    December 12, 1985
  5. ISBN-10
    0394527631
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0394527635
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the last two decades, scientists have taken a fresh look at dinosaurs and have revised theories about evolution and extinction in the light of new evidence: a colony of dinosaur nests with eggs and complete skeletons of different sizes was one of the major finds of this century. Wilford, science reporter for the New York Times and author of The Mapmakers, here reviews our past and present knowledge of the prehistoric creatures. He writes about fossil-hunters and their discoveries on every continent, about the "bone wars" of the 19th century. He traces the development of current theoriesthat some dinosaurs were warm-blooded and fast-moving; that in some species, parents took care of their young; that extinction was due to an extraordinary catastrophe on earth. Wilford's account of conflicts over interpretation, of the building and testing of hypotheses, gives us a stunning portrait of science in ferment. The "new" dinosaurs are just as intriguing as the old ones. Illustrations not seen by PW. Macmillan Book Club main selection; History Book Club alternate. January 14
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Unlike many other dinosaur books, this is not a picture book (although it is illustrated) or a review of specific types of dinosaurs. Rather, it is a sophisticated overview of how dinosaurs have been discovered, studied, and theorized about for the past two centuries. The text includes numerous sketches of paleontologists, with attention given to their early interest in dinosaurs. Wilford gathers momentum as he finishes reviewing the historic background and proceeds in the second half of the book to give an informed, exciting review of the past few years' debates, from "hot-blooded dinosaurs" to dinosaurs' possible extinction by an asteroid. He is particularly successful in describing the convoluted method of scientific thesis formation and testing. Highly recommended. Susan Klimley, Columbia Univ. Libs.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alfred A. Knopf; First Edition (December 12, 1985)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394527631
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394527635
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 6 ratings

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John Noble Wilford

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
6 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sivashankar Rathinakumar
5.0 out of 5 stars Good purchase!
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
Gifted to friend and he loved it!
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glauver
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Although Dated
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2023
This 1986 history of paleontology may not be the most up to date, but it is well written and accessible. The section of paintings in the middle is a plus. Even though it concluded in the mid 1980s, it is fascinating to note that in Donald Prothero's recent The History of The Dinosaurs in 25 Discoveries the same controversies (warm vs. cold-blooded, the asteroid extinction theory) were still alive. John Noble Wilford also wrote interesting thumbnail accounts of the great fossil hunters such as Cope, Marsh, Hatcher, the Sternbergs, and Barnum Brown. If you only want a single book, go with Prothero because he is more up to date, but, if you can snag this volume at a reasonable price, it is worth having.
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Suraj H. Pandya
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2012
I loved this book. It was a little slow to start but offers a fantastic overview of the major discoveries in the history of Paleontology. From the forst scientific thoughts on dinosaurs, to the notorious bone wars of Cope and MArsh, to the modern greats Ostrom, Bakker, Horner, etc. It's all covered here in a well written enjoyable fashion.
2 people found this helpful
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Johanna Seltz Seelen
2.0 out of 5 stars An interesting science book by a reporter
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2000
For the most part, the author seems to have pretty good information for the time of the book's printing, but for anyone who wants to read this book on purely scientific terms, be warned; there are several places where the book goes awry, for example: the author states that tracks of tyrranosaurus indicate that it was a solitary animal, occasionally hunting in pairs. Problem: no tracks of a t. rex have been discovered to date, a decade and a half after the writing. Aside from that and a few other points, though, the book is good reading.
2 people found this helpful
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rkroningam
4.0 out of 5 stars A Riddle Well-Explained
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2009
This is a fascinating and well-written account of the history of the paleontological exploration and research carried on in the past century on dinosaur fossils. Readable, as many such are not, well-illustrated, and full of wonderful tales and anecdotes, it is a pleasure to read and own. I wish I had the dj for my copy.
2 people found this helpful
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